1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tipper apparatus, and more particularly to a tipper apparatus for pigmenting the embossed section (raised characters for copying) of a card used by a customer for transactions at financial institutions or the like. The card may be a magnetic card with a magnetic stripe, or an embossed card without a magnetic stripe. The present invention also relates to a card-issuing system featuring the use of such a tipper apparatus. The present invention further relates to a color ribbon used in such a tipper apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional card embossers or tipper apparatus (tipping mechanisms) operate such that a monochrome ribbon is installed in each tipper, and embossed characters are pigmented when a card is issued. Consequently, tipping is limited to a single color when a card is issued using a card embosser.
When, however, a plurality of cards are issued and multicolor tipping is involved, tipper apparatus corresponding in number to the colors must be provided, resulting in a bulky card embosser profile and higher equipment costs.
In cases in which only one tipper apparatus can be mounted on the card embosser, the color ribbon must be replaced with the ribbon of the desired color each time the tipping color is changed, making it necessary to adjust the pressure, temperature, and time of the pusher for tipping matched to a particular color.
A drawback of such conventional examples is that multicolor pigmentation cannot be achieved with a single tipper apparatus. In other words, tipper apparatus or card embossers whose number is equal to the number of tipping colors must be made available in order to perform tipping with the desired color or to perform tipping with a color that matches the ground color of the card. This arrangement is disadvantageous in that tipper apparatus equal in number to the number of tipping colors must be provided when the goal is to issue multicolored cards with the aid of a single card embosser, increasing the external dimensions of the card embosser and raising equipment costs.
Another drawback of such conventional examples is that because a monochrome ribbon is mounted on a tipper apparatus, the color ribbon must be replaced every time the tipping color is changed when multicolor cards are issued with the aid of a single tipper apparatus, making it necessary to adjust the pressure, temperature, and time of the pusher during tipping in accordance with the tipping color, making it more time-consuming to issue cards, and impeding automation.
Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication 59-50775 discloses a technique in which a pressure-sensitive coloring film is provided to the card surface, and embossed characters are pigmented without the use of a color ribbon by employing the pressure exerted during the formation of the embossed characters on the card. A drawback of this approach, however, is that intricate operations involved in the pasting of the pressure-sensitive coloring film over the card itself must be performed, raising the manufacturing costs of the card. In addition, there is the danger that portions subjected to accidental pressure will be colored if such pressure is applied to the card as a result of an impact.